Winning Techniques

Winning Techniques

OffenseBeing on offense in NFL Blitz 20-02 is a high-flying, ball-busting, nerve-jangling affair. In order to be effective offensively, you'll have to mix it up, use motion to open things up downfield and be cautious with the ball. Follow the guidelines below to give yourself the best chance.

Disguise Your IntentionsDon't immediately highlight the receiver you're about to go to. Instead, keep highlighting a man who is covered until the very last moment. That way, if you're playing an opponent who likes to knock down the man you're about to throw to, you can fool him/her into committing to that player, then quickly switch up and hit the open target.

If you want to be super-sneaky, you can hide your cursor while you're choosing your play. To do this, put your cursor in the upper left corner and press UP twice. Remember where you are in the scheme of things, because if you lose track, you might pick the wrong play.

Don't Throw Into CoverageNo duh... right? Well, maybe. Although Blitz lets you force the ball into a lot of tight coverage, the main problem when you try to squeeze the ball in a tight place is that it tends to deflect around. It's usually not intercepted by someone just stepping in front of the ball...but is often picked off the deflection.

Protect Your QBThe quarterback is the most important player on the team... but you can make his job a lot easier by protecting him. This can be done in a lot of different ways. The first of these is to set the Impact Player to protect. This is usually the default, so you don't have to do much to make him help. However, if you notice players are consistently blitzing from the right or left, you can choose to have him block either right or left to stave off the rush.

Once you have selected your play and are about to snap the ball, if you get the feeling that you're going to need an extra blocker, put a player in motion, then press R2 and L2 when you snap it, and he will stay in to block. This is especially crucial in long passing situations, as you'll have to buy the maximum amount of time possible.

Another way to protect the QB is to dish it off to a nearby player. You can also set the Impact Player's function to Dish, meaning he will always remain a couple of steps behind your quarterback ready to receive a pitch. Dishing the ball off to a back or receiver will buy you a couple extra seconds to allow your downfield receivers to get open.

If all else fails, there's always the jump button. If a defensive lineman is bearing down on you, jump in the air to avoid his tackle. You can even toss a pass while in midair.

Use Spins and Jukes... But Not Too MuchA well-timed spin maneuver will free you up downfield and send would-be tacklers to the turf. The same is true of the stiff-arm. However, Blitz players are not too smart. They tend to hold the football in the same hand as they're stiff-arming with. As a result, if the opposition is hitting you with a turbo tackle, the ball comes out fairly often. Likewise, if you're spinning, you're twice as likely to fumble, especially when your turbo meter is getting low.

Learn to Hurdle and DiveLearning to hurdle and dive will help you get those tough yards near the first down marker and end zone. Since a lot of this game is momentum, hurdling into the air, especially near the goalline, is an effective way of getting the defense to help you. When you're in the air, it's very likely that you will get knocked forward with the help of an aggressive tackle. This is useful when you're low on turbo and just don't have enough juice to get there on your own.

Diving helps by pressing turbo and tapping the jump button. Use this to lunge forward to get extra yardage at the end of a play, or get to that goalline. Be sure you have turbo when trying to attempt it, though, or you could be eating a grill full of dirt.

Use MotionBy putting a running back or receiver in motion, you will alter his route and, in a lot of cases, insure that he will be open. Note that many times, when using motion, a player will run a completely different route (rather than running the same route in a different part of the field).

Exploit the Double PassThe double pass is key to winning, especially against superior opponents. It forces your opponent (be it computer or flesh) to make a decision about where you're going with the ball. Toss the ball out wide and wait for the opposing team to commit to the new ball carrier, then toss it to the receiver who has just been left by his defender. If you're really good at this technique, you can actually pass it back and forth a couple of times behind the line of scrimmage before heaving it downfield.

Mix it UpDon't keep going to the well, or the well will go dry. The more you mix up your play-calling, the better, especially against the CPU.

DefensePlaying defense is the toughest part of playing Blitz. The game is definitely stacked in the offense's favor. But the defense isn't, well, defenseless. For one thing, since there aren't penalties, you can interfere as much as you want while a play is taking place. And if you do happen to get burned, there are always the after-play hi jinks to make you feel better.

Knock Everyone DownIf you can knock them all down, none of them will make a play. Tackle as many players as possible before the ball is passed in order to reduce the offense's options. Especially key on deep receivers and keep all the action in front of you. If possible, do not leave your feet. If you can just punch a guy to knock him down, do it.

Follow the Blinking ManIfa dude is blinking, that means a ball is headed his way. If you can, knock him down (see above). Otherwise, just turbo your buttocks over there so you're in position for a tackle.

Always Use Turbo When TacklingWhen you tackle, always lay on the turbo button. Not only does this make your tackles more spectacular looking, it increases the chances that the opposing player will cough up the ball. This is especially effective when players have been spinning or stiff-arming a lot, or right after they catch a pass or onside kick.

Know Your AnglesThe angle at which you tackle someone is very important. In fact, it could be the difference between a first down and a turnover on downs... or worse, between a touchdown or a stop. Try to approach a ball-carrier head on. With this technique, you'll often staple a guy to the ground. If you come at the same guy from the side or back, you could actually end up propelling him over the line you're trying to guard.

Use the "Pop"Since there is no offsides in Blitz, you can use this technique to crowd the line and get in for a quick tackle. The technique is to quickly pop between players, the whole time pressing down. Keep hitting the change player button and down and every last dude on your team will end up on the line of scrimmage. When the ball is snapped, quickly switch to a defensive lineman and press Turbo and jump. This will flatten the quarterback about half of the time, and dsirupt the line enough to break the play about 75% of the time.

Quick BlitzIn related news, when blitzing, crowd the line of scrimmage and press turbo and jump. A tackler will leap through the line and attempt to bury the passer. This is effective about half of the time.

Intercept, Don't SwatWhen going up for a loose ball, press turbo and jump rather than just jump. This will increase your chances of picking off a ball. Otherwise, if you merely jump, your player will jump up and only knock the ball down.

Go For Loose BallsWear boxers. No, what I mean is, if a ball is on the ground, scramble to get it. Turbo and Jump buttons pressed at the same time will lunge at any ball that is up for grabs, whether bouncing around in the breeze or rolling on the turf.

Don't Always BlitzIn fact, rarely blitz. Select a play like Shut it Down (Page 2 of the Defense Plays), then choose a linebacker as your controlled player. Instead of heading in to the quarterback, hang back and patrol. If you see a blinking guy, knock him down. Otherwise, just hang out and cover anyone obviously open. If the QB takes off to run, move up to him and make him into a floor pizza.